Combined tobacco-stripping and stalk-cutting machine



Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,349

S. OLSON GOMBINED TOBACCO STRIPPING AND STALK CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1924.

s. OLSON COMBINED TOBACCG STRIPPING AND STALK CUTTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1920 will MII uM III" S. OLSON Filed June 26, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 9, 1924.

5A OLSON COMBINED TOBACCO STRIPPING. AND STALK CUTTING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

inane waaraan@Basse-SewaneeAND5seen-.CUTTINGMACHINE Ap/piicyatvion filed 51,1116 2625 To all whom t may,cfmcewvi:v

Be it known that I, Sinnnv OLSON, a oitizen of the UnitedStates,residingY at QoonY Valley, in the county of. }Vernon and. State" of Wisconsin, have invented, certainy nevi@ and useful ImprovementsinCombined Tobacco-Stripping, and Stalk?Cuttiiigi Maj chines, of which the following isr a ,speciioaf' tion, reference being had to the accompany; ing drawings. 'i

This invention relates to an improved combined tobacco i stripping and stalk stein cutting machineand an robjectis toV provide a machine of this `gchanacterv adapted' for stripping tobacco and cutting orch'opfping rthey stalks so asV to'wprovide material for fertilizer and Wliiclimaybe blown out,k by meansof a blowerand used,,forfertilizY-v` ing the soil, therebyvavoidingjthe necessity of the very.tiresomeyvvorliof placingthe'` stallrsinthe furrovvvvhileplowing.; Y

Another objectl is l, to provide aftobaccor stripping machine including@ 'frame f, a tablev or .bed plate yin ficombinatiori. Witlifi stripping jawsmounted ontllie, ,tableuor bed,"

plate, andineans fon` raising andflo'wering oneof the jaws to permitofffthle reeept'ionfof the tobacco ,beta/leen the/j v leaves, ofthe tobaccolmay the stalks.,A A

Still Heathen @bied-embodies the pmiispnf, offa .macliineofgtliis designi'ivlie ing or feedingrollers .arelplac 'n ae trance of the; Swimmer@forfhfparpese, pulling the sialks'betiv'eer thaiawsfivhteby, the fbeofleaveacanpessimisti therefnoma, the :sta iks being; subsequen tly,r vdub ,on chopped; to provide material lfor fertiliizlerandffotlier purposes.

A ,further objectgV-is `,to vprovide mea-ns for.A yieldably mounting one ofv the feeding ,ori pinching rollers so tliatfsneh rollen ,cangyield ably separate from theI fixed roller in;finden;y to accommodate different'quant-itiesV of ,tobacco between thejavys.

A still further Objectis the lprovision.ofl means for .yieldably mountinggthe XmQYableJ.; jaw in,iorder to afford a tensioningactioii on sucliijaiw, to keepv it incontac't ,withtheir, tobacco, yas it is pulled through.jawsfand; pedally operated-means for raisingftheyield ably mounted javn.

Additionally l, the inventionl i aims toy pro-Av, vide operative` connections between the Istrip.-I pingmeans of the n iachineI thef chopper 01- Gutingmeans `Wherbii ariiee 1S trasse s; wherebyA4 the:

l1929. Serial Np.. 391,952.

niitted Vto the ,stripping machine, the cutter ent illustratediandset forth is; deemedpref! eralole, it is obvious that as a resultfoffa,

reduction of theiiivention toanioijepractioali forni for commercial,I purposes, 1the invention maybe susceptible to changes, and j the "riglit to these "changes Ais 4claimed,y pro- ,vided ,they are coinprehendedl"Within the scopeiof what is claimed,

The invention.comprises further featuresl andfcoinbinationA of parts, asf'vvill be herein,-

afteifiset forth, shown [in the draiviiigs Inftl'iev diavvin gs Figure l is. a perspective View of the iiinproved 'tobacco stripping Imachine, aiidlgoutf terconstructed in. accordanee Witli the invention, Y

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the man cliinesliowing the opposite side thereof,

Figure 31is also a perspectiveviewviei\ ing ,the sameffigoin another` side tliereofp Figure 4 isa verticalfsectional vient on line ofFigure 2,

Figure 5 is a vertical vsectional vievwkon lin.e5,5 ofl Figure 1-, more clearly showing the3yieldablymounted, jaw andthe yield@ ably-f Insulated pinching Orv fedng feller; andi v i f Figurev 6isira,sectionzlilsview on line 6-6 of FigureA,

Referring, mo re especially, to they dravv; 1ngs,1 ,designates ay fraiifie1 which comprises the opposite f sides 2, ,'vvliicli;y have. cutf, anja4 portions, the edges 3.of which act as supporting; ,means for an; table or Y bed plate 4.1i Mountedupon therbed plate oi table are side piecesl 'Wliich actto guidetlie tobaco,

toward the; stripping `j aufs.

Also .superimposed with. :relation to, ,the

a bedhplate rortable 4: are stationary and moi able tobacco stripping 1avvs andi; Thestationary jaw is held, rigid imposition ,by means offthe braclretkplates Swliicli'f, are angular, and-.iarejfastened to tlie bed. plate ortable The verticalarms `of ,the brad-tet plates rare fastened toI gtlie stationary; jaw

6. Mounted in guide bushings@ (which are extendedithrougli the bed vplateoritable asL shovvnf'in'the sectional views ofthefdrarwings.) yare ljavv vcarryingrods,llO,l vvhi'cliy are secured, at v111.120' the movable Addie, tional'rodslj arefseoured to the movable jaw and extend downwardly through the guide openings 13fL of the bed plate or table. The jaw carrying rods have mounted thereon in surrounding relation thereto coil expansion springs 13, which are interposed between the cuide bushings, and the washers 14. Nuts 15 are threaded to the lower ends of the jaw carrying rods 10, designed `for the purpose of adjustment to regulate the Vtension of the springs 13, in order to increase or decrease the tension on the movable tobacco stripping jaw. Extending from the stationary jaw above the bed plate or tableare suitable devices such as pins 16 to limit the movable jaw in its one ation toward the stationary jaw. The stationary and movable jaws are provided with registering U-shaped recesses 17 and 18, 19 and 20, and 21 and 22, arranged in pairs as shown. The U-shaped recesses 17 and 13 `register with each other so as to provide a tobacco receiving opening. rlhe recesses 19 and 20walso register to provide a second tobacco receiving' opening which is smaller than the first opening, whereas the recesses 21 and 22 register and constitutie a third opening which is even still. smaller and by these different sets of openings it is obvious that tobacco in different ouanti'tics and different proportions may be inserted between the stationary movable jaws and when the stalks are pulled, the leaves are readily stripped or removed from the stalks. The leaves fall upon the table or bed plate and are gathered and manufactured into cigars, i

cigarettes, chewing, smoking tobacco a nd the like.

Rising upwardly from one side or' the bed plate or table is an upright 23, and pivotally mounted at its upper end in a bifurcation thereof upon a pivot 211 is a lever 25. One end of this lever is biturcated and is pivotally connected to an arm 26 (which is car ried by and rises upwardly trom the movablev jaw) by means ot' a slot and pivot pin connection 27. Connected to the other end ot the lever is a rod 23 which in turn is pivotallj7 connected at 29 to a tout pedal 30,

which is pivoted on one side of the trame,

of the machine as at 31. It will be noted that by applying foot pressure on the pedal, a pulling action is imparted to the rod 23, tilting the lever 25 so as to raise the movable stripping jaw.

The sides of the frame of the machine are provided with vertical guides and also mounted in the frame are pinching or feeding rollers 33 and 34E. These rollers are rotatable, but it is to be noted that the roller 33 remains in fixed relation relatively to the trame and to the bearings of the roller, while the roller 34, though it isrotatable, is capable of being raised and lowered. In order that the roller 34 may raise and lower, its pintles 35 are mounted in bearing elevments 3G, which are in turn mounted in the guides 32. Also mounted in the guides 32 are expansion coil springs 37 which are in surrounding relation to the rods 3S. The rods 33 are mounted in bearings 39 at their upper ends, and have their lower ends in engagen'ient with the bearings 36. Nuts ll() are engaged with the upper ends of the rods 33 in order to adjust the position of the roller by feeding the rods upwardly as soon as their lower ends are connected to the Abea 'ings 33. ,lt will be noted that by this construction the rotatable roller 3st is capable oli yielding upwardly according to the size or quantity oit tobacco pussing between the rollers, in other words, in order to accommodate variable quantities oi' tobacco.

The roller 33 is mounted upon a shaft 41, one end ot' which is provided with a drive pulley 4t2, to which power (not shown) may be belted.

Also carried by the shaft, but at its opposite end, is a pulley 43. Mounted upon the frame of the machine are supporting brackets all, which engage around or with one corner ot the :trame 'ot the n'iachine, and are secured in place as shown at 45. (larried by and secured to these brackets 44 are the bearing arms 4:6, which extend angular i' ly laterally. These arms have bearings for the shafts 4,7 of the guide pulleys 48 and 4S). Forming a part of the 'trame ci the machine on one end thereof, is a housing 50, and mounted in bearings ot the walls of this housing is a shatt51 to be driven. The outer end yor the shaft 51 carries a pulley 52 about which a belt 53 engages. One side of the belt passes over the guide pulley 49. while the other side of the belt passes over the guide pulley 43. 4It will be noted that the belt 53 engages around the corner of the frame of the machine and travels about the pulley 43, which is movable with the shaft oi the lower feed or pinching roller 33. It is obvious that when power is transmitted to the pulley Ll2, driving the pinching or feeding roller 33, power may he transn'iitied through the medium ot the belt 53 to the shaiit 51. Mounted upon the slia'lt 51 is a` conventional torni oi' stalk cutter Also lined with relation to the lran'ie of the ma chine is a second plate or table 55, which is positioned on the opposite side of the lower roller 33. Superimposed with relation to the table or bed plate is a member 56. The member 5G and thc table 55 are converged toward each other, and both. are inclined downwardly from the upper and lower rollers, in order to provide a passage 53a for the stalks of tobacco. Arranged between the memb 5G`and the table t 5 are guides 5S. The adjacent edges of the guides 58 are converged downwardly toward each other, so that the stalks after leaving the Sil pinching rollers may discharge at the smaller end of the passage 58 in the path of the blades of the cutter 54. As the stalks pass through the smaller end of the passage they are chopped by the cutter a which revolves with the shaft 5l. The blades of the cutter 54 rotate in front of the smaller' end of t-he passage 58 so as to sweep acrossthe smaller' end and chop the stalks which may be blown through the passage by means of the blower fan 59. The top wall of the passage 5OfL is provided with a plurality of openings 60 in order that air may be drawn into the passage by the blower fan 59, whereby the chopped stalks may be blown downward. A pulley 6l is carried vupon the shaft 5l and engaged therewith is a belt 62 which operates about the pulley 63 mounted upon the shaft Gil. rihis shaft 64 is mounted in a bearing 65 of the wall of the passage 50a and in a bearing 66 and i-s provided with a bevel gear 67. A shaft 68 has its upper end engaged in a bearing of the upper wall of the auxiliary casing 50 and its lower end in a bearing 69. This shaft 60 carries a bevel gear 70 and a blower fan 59. The bevel gear 67 operates the gear 'ZO and through the medium of the pulley7 6l and the belt 62 power is transmitted to the fan which acts to blow the chopped stalks through the passage 50.

rlhe leaves are they are stripped from the stalks remain upon the bed plate or table and are subsequently piled or packed for shipment to various places to be manufactured into cigars, cigarettes, chewing and smoking tobacco. The stalks are chopped into small pieces forming a suitable fertiH lizer which may be distributed over the field and plowed into the ground.

When this machine is in use the tobacco plants are placed upon the bed plate 4t and the ends of the stalks are inserted in the openings between the movable and stationary jaws. Some of the plants have thickerstalks than others and therefore the stationary and movable jaws have been provided with openings of different sizes so that the stalks may be linserted in openings which will be of the proper size to permit the stanks to be drawn through and the leaves detached from the stalks. TWhen the stalks are passed through these openings they are engaged by rollers 33 and Sil and will be pulled through the openings so that the plates or jaws which are held in close scraping engagement with these stalks may engage the stems of the leaves and detach the leaves from the stalks. Therefore, the

leaves will drop down upon the bed plate 4 and the stalks will be passed into the passage provided between the table 55 and the member 56. The stalks pass through this passage 58a, and as they pass out of the passage they will be engaged by the blades of the cutter 5st and cut into small pieces which will, by their own weight, drop downwardly in the passage 50a orbe driven downwardly in the passage by the air blast from the fan 59. rfhe chopped stalks will be delivered into suitable receptacles so that they may be kept and used for fertilizer. rihe leaves which are stripped from the stalks will be removed from the bed plate 54.- and formed into bunches so that they may lateiI on have the stems removed and then be used for making smoking tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and the like.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is zl. ln a machine of the character described, a stationary frame including a feed table, a stationary jaw member extending transversely thereof, a. vertically slidably mounted jaw member coacting with and overlapping said irst named jaw member and spring pressed downwardly, means for moving the slidable jaw member upwardly, coacting rollers jonrnaled behind the jaw members, a chute leading from said rollers, a casing into which said chute discharges, a blower fan journaled in said casing at the top thereof, and chopper rotatably mounted at the outlet end of the chute, and means for simultaneously driving the rollers, chopper and fan.

2. in a machine of the character described, a stationary frame, a feed table thereon, coacting relatively movable jaw members at the rear end of the feed table, means for moving one aw member with respect to the other, a pair of horizontally disposed coact-ing rollers journaled at the rear of the jaw members, a casing at the rear of the frame provided at its lower end with a discharge, a chute receiving from the rollers and leading into said casing, a chopper journaled for rotary movement in a vertical plane within the casing and positionad to traverse the rear end of the chute, a fan at the top of the casing journaled for rotation in a horizontal plane, and means for simultaneously driving said rollers, chopper and fan.

ln testimony lwhereof l hereunto affix my signature.

SIDNEY OLSON. 

